This guide has been written to inspire and empower reef managers and community leaders to develop reef stewardship programs. Stewardship is a way of empowering local communities to take a more active role in sustaining the natural resources on which they depend.
This report presents an overview of the workshops and meetings held in the Maldives during the week of 23 - 27 March 2015 as part of the Resilience-based Management theme under IUCN Project REGENERATE. It includes incidental observations made during the meetings and associated site visits that may have relevance to the current and future work under this project. It concludes with recommendations for future directions for advancing coral reef management in the Maldives under Project REGENERATE.
The estimated 500 million people who depend on coral reefs worldwide regularly contend with change. Whether it is the shifting demands of a global marketplace, political upheaval at the national level, shortage of local supplies such as fuel, or fickle weather, the resilience of reefdependent people is often put to the test. Despite this hard-earned resilience, coastal communities and reef-based industries are going to be challenged like never before as climate change exerts a multi-faceted influence.
A survey of tourists and tour operators in the Egyptian Red Sea region shows that the industry often misperceives its clientsÂ’ environmental sensitivity, putting its own business at risk. Climate change is a growing threat to the tourism industry by making destinations less attractive and jeopardizing major sources of income. The awareness of tourists towards climate change and other environmental issues is likely to be a major driver of their future holiday choices.
Coral reefs are vital ecosystems, providing a source of income, food and coastal protection for millions of people. Pollution, habitat destruction, disease and unsustainable fishing have led to declines in reef condition throughout the world. Added to this, the threat of mass coral bleaching has recently emerged, causing extensive coral mortality to nearly every coral reef region. Efforts have now begun to improve the prospects of coral reefs by identifying resilient areas, enhancing their protection, and implementing strategies to support ecosystem resilience.
